When Ohio workers are injured on the job, they expect to receive some form of benefits from their employer, namely, workers' compensation benefits. However, one man has been denied compensation after suffering gunshot wounds, while performing his job duties. The reason is because as a volunteer sheriff's posse member, he was not covered under any type of insurance.
There are dozens of posse groups throughout Arizona. These people are volunteers who assist police officers and patrol various areas. They receive no pay for their work, nor are they covered by workers' compensation insurance.
This is devastating to the man who helped a police officer in December. While trying to aid the officer, the posse member suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. He also suffered several life-threatening injuries in the incident.
The man received $15,000 from the sheriff's office, as well as several thousand dollars in donations, but it is not enough to pay for all his medical expenses. He has been in the hospital for six-months and requires more surgeries and ongoing care. The man had filed a workers' compensation claim, but it was denied because he allegedly does not meet the requirements. He is planning to file an appeal.
Workers' compensation laws vary from state to state and can be complex. It is likely that the man was not eligible for benefits because he is not technically an employee. Volunteers typically are not insured by companies. Nonetheless, given the nature of the posse's duties, the risk of suffering injuries is great. The volunteers perform potentially dangerous duties free of charge and should be offered some amount of compensation, should they become injured.
Source: KPHO, "Workers comp denied to critically injured MCSO posse member," Donna Rossi, July 3, 2014
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